While addiction may seem like an individual issue, addiction, in particular drugs, can be a much broader and serious social issue.

What may have started as a social habit can quickly spiral into addiction. Then, once an addiction has been formulated, anti-social behaviour affects peers, work and family life, spiralling into a social issue.

Below, we have delved into the social effects of drug abuse and how it can put your future in danger.

Who Does Drug Abuse Affect?

Drug abuse can affect anybody, at any age and any demographic – which is why nobody should ever feel exempt.

However, drug abuse can affect people more than others. For instance, some people are at higher risk of drug abuse, such as:

  • People struggling with alcohol addiction
  • People who are suffering from poor mental health
  • Social drug users

However, you must remember that whether you already have an addiction or not doesn’t matter, and you can still fall victim to drug addiction no matter what. That being said, you should be self-aware and actively avoid taking any substances so it doesn’t spiral into drug abuse.

How Does It Impact Peers & Families?

The ripple effect of drug abuse goes beyond the individual addicted to drugs, which is why drug abuse is a social problem.

Some of the effects that your drug abuse can have on peers and families include:

Emotional Strains

Families experience emotional distress as they watch their loved ones struggle with addiction.

It can lead to feelings of helplessness, anger, and sadness, which can take a toll on their mental well-being. This is a serious issue, and this mental health toll has the potential to turn into addiction, too.

Emotional strains go further than just your immediate family; drug abuse, in particular, can break down your livelihood. This can lead to emotional strains on yourself from work, losing work, losing friends and even losing family relationships.

Financial Burden

Drug addiction often leads to financial strain on those suffering from the addiction and those surrounding you.

Ultimately, with drug abuse being illegal, the prices of such can be expensive, not to mention the fact that they come from drug dealers and criminals. These criminals prey on those suffering from addiction, and this can create a severe financial burden that can even turn you, as the addict, into a criminal.

Not being able to pay a drug dealer can lead to serious criminal consequences. It is extremely dangerous, and it can seep into your family life, too – these are the incredibly dangerous outcomes of financial burdens that come along with drug addiction and how they can spill into the perpetuation of criminal offences within society.

Broken Families

Drug abuse can erode trust within families and among peers. The lies, deception, and the need for secrecy can lead to fractured relationships that are challenging to repair.

Families can easily be broken down through drug abuse, even when just 1 person is suffering from addiction. Whether it is deceiving your loved ones to borrow money or stealing from family members to fund your habit, it is a recipe for the breakdown of family life.

How Does Drug Abuse Impact Society?

So the question is, why is drug abuse a social problem, and how does it seep into society?

As we mentioned, one of the critical things that makes drug abuse a social problem as well as a personal issue is the impact of crime rates.

In fact, there are numerous studies surrounding the link between criminality and drug use. One study found that “Opiate-positive cases had higher rates of offending than test-negative controls, both prior to and post, opiate initiation.”

The common correlation between criminal offences and drug abuse is worrying and is precisely why it is a social issue. With an increase in crime rates due to drug abuse, our streets are less safe, even for those innocent of drug abuse.

As well as this, there is the overwhelmed healthcare system. The NHS, in particular, is already under pressure with patients with a range of issues; however, without the addition of drug addiction, some of these conditions may not have been formulated nor needed the assistance of the healthcare system.

Not only the health care system but the stress on the economy and other officials is apparent too. For instance, the police force in terms of crime is also put under pressure due to drug abuse and addiction as it can often seep into our streets and cause crime, gang crime and many other serious offences.

How Much Does Drug Addiction Cost the Economy?

The cost of drug abuse to the economy in the UK can be substantial, encompassing both direct and indirect costs. These costs can include expenses that we mentioned, such as those related to healthcare, law enforcement, social services, lost productivity, and more.

The specific figures may vary from year to year and are influenced by various factors, including government policies and the prevalence of drug abuse during that time.

Annually, it’s estimated to cost the UK billions of pounds to fund these kinds of expenses that are a result of drug abuse – making it a significant social issue.

Getting Help For A Drug Addiction…

We understand that drug addiction is an illness just like anything else, and we are here to help. So that you don’t become a part of the harrowing statistics that come along with drug abuse, get in touch with us at Ocean Recovery Centre to find out how we can help you beat your drug addiction for good on 0800 880 7596 or email us at info@oceanrecoverycentre.com today.

John Gillen - Director at Ocean Recovery

John Gillen - Author - Last updated: October 31, 2023

John is one UK’s leading professionals in the addiction recovery industry. Pioneering new treatment techniques such as NAD+ and ongoing research into new therapy techniques such as systematic laser therapy, John is committed to providing the very best treatment for people throughout the UK and Europe. During his extremely busy schedule, John likes to regularly update our blog section with the latest news and trends in the industry to keep visitors to our site as well informed as possible on everything related to addiction treatment.